Primary Navigation

Jane Eyre Laid Bare

Even classics are not safe from 'bonkbuster' fever, as the simmering sexual tension in Jane Eyre is set to come to fruition in an explicit reworking, Jane Eyre Laid Bare.

"Mommy porn" enthusiasts should free up space on their well-thumbed e-readers for the erotic rehash of Charlotte Bronte's 1847 classic, which will be launched in August- somewhat furtively - to only the e-market.

The saucy re-write, by debut novelist Eve Sinclair, is then expected to be released by published Pan Macmillan in paperback "shortly afterwards," The Bookseller reported.

JELB will explore the "smouldering sexual chemistry between Jane and Rochester," in what Sinclair described as "an erotic version of my favourite classic."

"I have changed very little of Bronte's original to retell the timeless story of a young girl falling for an unattainable older man and getting out of her depth in a sensual world she cannot control," Sinclair added.

Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine's passionate depiction of the novel's central characters, above, is evident as far back as 1944 in an early film adaptation of the novel, and as Wayne Brookes, Macmillan publishing director, pointed out, "The original is full of sexual tension."

The carnal take on a well-loved classic is, of course, hot on the heels of EL James' best-selling 50 Shades of Grey, which has closed the deal on more than 10 million sales worldwide, and hugely divided opinion along the way.

Is Jane Eyre giving it up for the anonymous E-reading generation a positive step, or should Bronte's script remain untouched? Let us know on Twitter or in the comments section below.